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With stories ranging from “My insurance company is just being too good to be true” to “I’ve been with my insurance company for 21 years, never made a claim, just lost my house, and now they’ve cancelled me,” about 50 Jesusita and Tea fire survivors filled the Westside Community Center to hear California Department of Insurance (CDI) officials walk them through the stages of the fire recovery insurance process.

On the last, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, acting as moderator, pointed to the dozens of insurance reps in the room, and asked, “Can’t you find a way to renew this guy?” Along with practical advice from Ken Klein of consumer advocacy group United Policy Holders-for example, always send a two-party check to a bank via Federal Express because it’s a way to obtain the branch phone number-the insureds were assured that CDI was just a phone call away-(800) 927-help-for assistance with just about any insurance problem.

CDI reps will also be at the Natural History Museum’s Fleischmann Auditorium on Thursday, June 6, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. To address the many California Fair Plan complaints, Poizner will be holding a meeting in Santa Barbara at the County Administration Building on August 25 at 7 p.m.